Let Me Think About You
by Bethofbells
Summary: Set at the end of 2x08. Will probably be a short multi chapter fic.
1. Chapter 1

Danny couldn't get out of his own head. He was replaying the events from the night before over and over, trying to figure out how he'd misread the situation so completely.

When she'd threaded her arm behind him, he'd become instantly uncomfortable. He'd thought about the way she would feel in his arms countless times. He'd fought it, but he'd never been able to stop wondering. That silly charade they'd been playing for Amy had felt too real. At some point he'd decided to stop fighting it, letting the mask of indifference slip just enough for his feelings to show. Luckily, Amy was the only one to witness them. At the time, he'd been bolstered by the thought that she felt the same, but it had still knocked the breath out of him.

Danny flipped the French toast one last time before transferring it to his waiting plate. He stood at the counter staring at it. He didn't even want to go sit by her. He felt exceptionally foolish, and didn't think he could hide it.

He took a deep breath and hefted the plate, turning toward the table. She was sitting there, still absorbed in his morning paper, fork hovering in midair with a good size piece of French toast attached to it. A drop of maple syrup formed on one tine, about to fall to the table.

He sat down and reached forward, pushing her hand back over her plate. "Try not to get syrup all over everything. I don't need ants." The words came out clipped. Being grumpy was a lot easier than dealing with the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Although I probably already have them, with the chocolate syrup and wine you got all over my couch."

He retreated and dug into his breakfast, working on cutting up his toast as if it were precision surgery. Mindy stared at him, frowning over the top of the paper. His whole demeanor had changed in the matter of five minutes.

She laid the paper down and continued eating. "Oh please, Danny, a little chocolate and wine aren't going to attract a colony of ants. Besides, I bet you've already cleaned it up. If anything you should probably worry about that sugar cube I dropped last night. I couldn't find it anywhere."

Danny sighed heavily. "Don't you ever think about the consequences of your actions?"

Mindy was taken aback. "That's a little dramatic, Danny. It's just a sugar cube. I'm sure it just fell under the couch." She looked over to him. He stared down at his plate, but didn't make a move to take another bite. She saw the muscle at his jaw clench and unclench. "What is going on with you? Did I say something?"

He carefully laid his fork down and leaned back in his chair, a feeling of resignation settling over him. "You said he worked at the same place, but he doesn't, he works in our building." He felt a fine sheen of perspiration break out across his forehead.

Mindy chewed the food in her mouth slowly, sipping her glass of juice before replying. She was a bit confused by the change of subject. "Cliff? Are we back to that again?" She set the glass down and gave up on eating. "What's the big deal? Same building, same place, what's the difference?"

Danny pushed away from the table and stood up. There was a sense of urgency building in him. The feeling that this was a turning point of some kind plagued him. "Well, I mean. When you said 'the same place' I thought you meant our office." He picked up his plate and walked it back to the kitchen. There was no way he was going to be able to finish his breakfast.

Mindy thought about what he'd said and became more confused. "You couldn't possibly have thought I was talking about Peter or Jeremy. That's ridiculous. As if I would ever think they were out of my league." She snorted and returned her attention back to her plate.

Danny was still at the kitchen sink. Without turning back to her he answered. "No, I didn't think it was either of them." He scraped the contents of the plate into the disposal and ran the water.

The softly spoken words caught Mindy's attention. She glanced over at him. The defeated set of his shoulders reminded her of the vulnerability she'd seen at the art show. Suddenly she knew why he was upset with her, and it made her heart stop in her chest.

She got up as quietly as possible and crept up behind him. Her still bare feet making no noise at all on the hardwood. She laid her hand on his shoulder and immediately felt him tense up. "Danny, can you please just tell me what you're thinking?"

He turned, facing her. He couldn't say it. Back when he'd thought she wanted him, it had been as though a door had been opened, but now it was slammed shut again. He just stared at her, the breath caught in his chest, his mouth frozen slightly open, awaiting words that wouldn't come.

He reached forward with one hand, brushing his fingers across her cheek, trailing down to her hair. She looked back at him with wide eyes. "Danny, what…" She trailed off when he cupped the back of her neck with his hand, gently drawing her forward.

She let herself be drawn in. When Danny's lips settled tentatively on hers, she felt him sigh. He paused for a brief moment, giving her time to pull back, before he deepened the kiss, gently squeezing her neck. He eyes drifted closed of their own accord.

Mindy wanted to think she'd been blindsided. It was really delusional to think that though. There had always been something, but she'd pushed it so far to the back of her mind that she'd nearly forgotten about it. Even when things were awful between them, there was always the spark of mutual passion. She'd pretended it wasn't there for so long, but everyone around her constantly felt the need to question her and Danny's relationship.

She lifted her hands and laid them flat against his chest. In her mind, it was so she could push away from him, and ask the questions spinning in her mind. Instead she splayed her fingers across the thin cotton of Danny's shirt, enjoying the heat she felt. His heart pounded against her palm as she moved closer to him.

He raised his hands to her shoulders and gently pushed her away. "I thought you were talking about me." His throat constricted painfully as he waited for her response. "When we were playing at being a couple last night, I got lost in it."

Mindy looked up at him, her eyes full of questions. "Danny, I don't know what to say." She stepped back from him and nervously fiddled with the tips of her hair. "I didn't know. I mean, I never thought you wanted anything to do with me."

He frowned. "Mindy, there have been a few times when I've let it slip. It can't be a total surprise." He heaved a frustrated breath and ran his hand through his hair, settling on the back of his neck. "I drop everything to help you out, even though I grumble about it. I tell you things, Mindy. Things that I don't tell anyone. And it's not like this is one sided. You do the same thing."

She blinked. It was fairly obvious, and she'd been aware of it for a while now. It hit her for real the night that Jason broke things off. Danny was this constant presence in her life. A friend, to be sure, but also something else. Delving into this aspect of their relationship terrified her. Danny knew her worst moments, and her most disgusting habits, and he still wanted this.

If she pursued this, and it didn't work out, it would be the biggest failure of all. She couldn't say that he didn't really know her, or that they didn't have anything in common. She'd have none of the normal ready excuses, and she would lose him as a friend.

She crossed her arms in front of her. "Danny, I can't do this right now. You spring this on me, and yes it is a surprise, because I had no idea you could even stand to be around me, and then you expect me to definitively say yes or no. I can't. I have to think about everything, ok?"

His eyes dropped to the floor. She felt like the worst sort of person, like someone who spent her day traipsing around the city kicking puppies and stealing change from homeless people. She fought the instinctual urge to step back up to him and lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. That would only make things worse. "I, uh, I'm going to change. I'll be out of your hair in like fifteen minutes, ok?"

She turned and walked back to his bedroom before he could answer. Mindy felt tears forming at the back of her eyes. She couldn't really understand why. She felt awful not being able to give Danny what he wanted, but there was also a since of awe bubbling inside of her. She couldn't believe he felt that way, knowing so much about her. Even though she could rationally list the moments when they'd had non-platonic interactions, she was still surprised.

Upon her return from Haiti, Danny hadn't really done anything to make her question the moment in the lounge. She'd chalked it up to his anxiety over Christina and quickly forgotten about it. Danny had never seemed to be on the same wavelength as her, so this really was a surprise. She kept telling herself the same thing over and over. She couldn't accept the fact that she'd been so oblivious, that she'd wasted so much time pursuing dead end relationships when something potentially real was right in front of her.

She dressed quickly and crept over to the door, shyly poking her head out. Danny was nowhere to be seen. She walked over to the kitchen island and picked up the note he'd left there. _I figured you'd want me gone when you got dressed, so I stepped out for a bit. I'm sorry._

She groaned. As if she didn't feel bad enough already. He was apologizing for making her uncomfortable. She cared about Danny, more probably than he even knew, but she didn't know if they could work, and the thought of really hurting him made her sick.

She folded the paper and slipped it into her coat pocket before she headed out the door. This was not something she could just impulsively decide. It was far too important.


	2. Chapter 2

Mindy was having a minor meltdown. She'd just begun to process the Danny situation when she finally found her purse. Strangely enough, someone had returned it to her desk at the office. She'd excitedly gone through it to make sure some criminal hadn't pilfered her things, sighing in contentment as she touched each belonging.

Then she'd found her phone.

She called Gwen almost immediately, in a state of panic, lying prostrate across the floor. Thank god it was Saturday and there was no one here to judge. "My life is ruined!" The wail following her exclamation was reminiscent of a dying cat.

Gwen reacted all too coolly, clearly jaded by Mindy's all too frequent dramatics. "Mindy, relax. There are two things you can take from this. One: Cliff obviously likes you. Yay. And two: Someone in your office is trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to play matchmaker, which means they obviously care about you. Everything's good in Mindy land, right?"

Mindy couldn't respond verbally. She just continued to moan. Gwen let her ride it out. After a few minutes she was able to form coherent sentences again. "Not everything." Gwen's blanket statement reminded her of the real issue at hand. She couldn't avoid thinking about her conversation with Danny. The bizarre text messages were not enough to keep her from thinking about the feel of his lips under hers, or the hurt look on his face when she was unable to respond appropriately.

"Gwen, I think I screwed up." She told Gwen about the night before, about playing-house for the benefit of Danny's neighbor. As the story poured from her lips she began to be amazed by how surreal it sounded. "Then this morning he told me that I should go for it. He said that the guy I liked wasn't out of my league. Gwen, he said I was great."

Gwen laughed. "Oh my, Mindy. Normally you don't sound so horrified when someone compliments you. Danny's your friend, right. So he thinks you're great. Big deal. You're friends now, that's the kind of thing friends say." She didn't sound utterly convinced, but she'd been down this path with Mindy before. It was very hard to convince her that someone liked her. Men usually had to be very direct before she even got the hint.

Mindy bit down on her bottom lip, debating about telling Gwen the rest. "He thought I was talking about him." She paused, taking a deep breath. "And then he kissed me." The words hung in the air. Mindy could all but see the knowing expression on Gwen's face. Her silence shrieked 'I told you so.' Mindy frowned. "Well say something!"

Gwen adopted that almost condescending tone Mindy hated. "Sweetie, I don't know what you want me to say. I mean, I can't believe Danny boy actually made a move. I was afraid he was going to spend the rest of his life pining over you."

Mindy felt her face crumple into what was surely an ugly cry. She gasped out a little sob before reigning it in. "Was it really that obvious?"

Gwen immediately regretted ribbing Mindy about this. She hadn't realized what a sore spot it would be. "Oh honey, I'm sorry. Maybe it's just because I'm on the outside looking in. He's always tried to hide it from you. How did you react?"

Mindy began to cry in earnest. The tears streaming down her face as she repeated the conversation they'd had. "I just feel so guilty. You can't imagine the look on his face. It was like I'd punched him in the gut. Then he left before we could talk about it more."

The crying subsided into soft hiccups. Gwen sighed. "What do you want, Mindy? I know you care about him. Honestly, I've always rooted for the two of you. He's the only man who's ever known the real you. Not even Casey knew who you really were."

She sighed into her phone. "Gwen, this is real, isn't it? I'm afraid I'll mess it up. I always mess these things up."

* * *

Mindy arrived at the office a little after nine Monday morning, hoping it was the perfect time to completely miss running into Danny. She did a weird tiptoe/skip across the carpet and dashed into her office, sighing in relief when no one questioned her about her odd behavior.

She shut the door behind her and sat down, settling in for a possibly awkward Monday. She hadn't quite decided what she was going to do about Danny. It was a dilemma that set butterflies fluttering in her stomach when she thought about it.

She knew she couldn't avoid him for long, and when a knock sounded at her door she took a deep breath before issuing a welcome. The little bubble of anticipation in her chest burst when Betsy popped her head in, flooding her with a surge of disappointment. "Dr. L I shifted your schedule around a little bit today." She stepped forward and laid a post it on her desk. "Dr. C called in sick, and I contacted most of his patients to reschedule, but Mrs. Alvarez wants to keep her appointment at one."

Mindy's eyes darted back and forth between Betsy and the post-it. "Danny's sick? Did he, uh, maybe say how long he'd be out?" Mindy folded and unfolded the note, her fingers fidgeting independently of her brain.

Betsy frowned. "No, not really, but he didn't sound that ill, so possibly just today." She looked hopefully at Mindy, pleased with her powers of deduction.

Mindy blinked, her gaze turning inward. She leaned back in her chair absentmindedly thanking Betsy. She was lost in thought. "That'll be fine."

Betsy backed out of Mindy's office, a perplexed look twisting her features.

* * *

Danny raised his fist to the heavy oak door, rapping his knuckles against it. He would've rang the doorbell, but it hadn't worked in years. She'd never liked it anyway, he had a sneaking suspicion that she'd dismantled it herself. He waited a few minutes the raised his hand again, this time knocking a little more forcefully. Nothing still.

The wind picked up, sending a chill up Danny's neck. He flipped up his collar and stepped away from the door, glancing around the small porch. There were flower pots sitting here and there. He smiled. Nothing ever seemed to change. He bent down and dug around in a small blue flower pot tucked slightly behind the others.

After a few seconds he felt the sharp cold of metal against his fingertips. He pulled out the key, brushing the dirt off of it. Before he could stand up, he heard the door open behind him. An umbrella swung down, landing on his back with a soft thump, once then twice. He raised his hands and turned to face his assailant. "Ma! Relax!"

The woman standing in the doorway dropped the umbrella to her side, her quilted morning robe flapped around her ankles in the wind. "Good Lord, Danny. Do you want to give your poor mother a heart-attack, messing around on my porch like some hooligan neighborhood kid. I'm older than I look." She glanced up at the sky, making the sign of the cross over her chest. "Mother Mary, give me patience."

Danny stood up, readjusting his jacket. Mrs. Castellano stared him down, after a few moments the irritation left her face, replaced by a soft look of sympathy. "Danny, what happened?"

Danny was dumbfounded. "Wha- nothing…. well, something." He stopped himself. "Can we just go inside first?"

She pursed her lips, turning back towards the foyer. Danny followed her, quietly shutting the door behind him. He followed her into the kitchen. The little lemon yellow round dinette set was tucked into one corner. He sat down at it, feeling silly. "Ma, when are you going to let me help you buy a new place? This is way too small."

She stood at the stove top, picking up the whistling kettle. Before he could protest, she had poured two cups of tea and seated herself across from him. "Don't try and change the subject. Tell your mother what happened?"

Danny sighed and took a drink of the tea. He'd stewed all day Saturday and Sunday, waiting for Mindy to call and tell him what she'd decided. When nothing had happened, he decided he couldn't face her at the office. "What makes you so sure something has happened?"

She gave him a knowing look. "Danny, the last time you showed up on my doorstep in the middle of the day when you should have been at work was when that blonde harpy betrayed you." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Danny didn't reply. He stared down in his cup, watching the leaves settle against the porcelain at the bottom. His mother reached across the table and patted his forearm. "You came all the way out here to _not_ talk about it?"

"Do you think I'll ever find anyone?" He twisted the delicate teacup one quarter turn, concentrating on the movement. "This is probably the first time I've ever faced the prospect of continuing my life as it is right now. I picked up the pieces after things fell apart with Christina. I tried to be this bachelor guy, in his fancy masculine apartment. I tried to be happy, knowing that was it. I thought I could do it."

Mrs. Castellano leaned forward and hugged her son, patting him on the back. She didn't let go, just held him there. He laid his head on her shoulder. "Danny, who is she?"

Danny couldn't even feign ignorance. "How do you know?"

She leaned back to look him in the face. "We feel the most alone when we know there's someone out there we'd happily spend every waking moment with."

Danny sighed, might as well tell her, it's not like she knew Mindy or anyone else from the office. "It's one of the doctors I work with, Mindy."

His mother raised an eyebrow sharply. "Stevie's girlfriend?"

"WHAT?!"

Her eyes widened at the volume with which the word exploded from his mouth. She laughed to herself. "His mother comes over here sometimes, to watch Jeopardy, you know, keep our minds sharp, and she's always talking about Stevie's lady-doctor girlfriend, Mindy."

Danny sat back in his chair. "Ma, I don't know what to tell you. Stevie's full of it, ok. Mindy is _not_ his girlfriend." Danny sighed and dragged his hands down his face. "That guy scalps ice capades tickets on the corner. Mindy is not dating him, ok?" The annoyance drained out of him. "She's into this lawyer that works in our building anyway."

She smiled down at her son. "Danny, I get it. She's your person. I know everything will work out, sometimes people just need time."

Danny looked up at her. He always came out here when things were overwhelming. She never really gave him any concrete advice. She never told him what course of action to take. It was her eternal optimism that bolstered him.

Just as he was about to lean in for another hug, a raucous pounding came from the front of the house. "Yo, Mrs. C, you home? Is Danny here?" The voice that rang out was familiar in its Staten Island cadence.

Danny swiftly went to the front door, jerking it open. "Stevie? What the hell are you doing here?"

Stevie looked up at him, taken aback by surprise. "Danny!" He sprang forward and caught him in a bear hug. "What do you know? Little lady doctor was right." He looked back over his shoulder down at the street where his car was parked. "Yo, Mindy! He _is _here. I guess I owe you ten bucks!"

Danny violently shoved Stevie away from him, almost causing him to fall down the steps. He looked down at the street, watching Mindy haul herself out of Stevie's little hatchback. "Just what the hell is going on here?"


	3. Chapter 3

CH 3

Stevie regained his balance and looked up at Danny in confusion. "Whoa, little D, what's your problem?" He brushed nonexistent dirt off his shoulders and stretched his hands out in front of his body in a defensive manner. "You still mad about before, because I thought we fixed that." His mouth hung open questioningly.

Danny felt embarrassment surge through him. When Stevie had called out over his shoulder to Mindy, and Danny had seen her extricating herself from the tiny car, he'd seen red. It was ridiculous to him now. There wasn't a rational cell in his body that thought Mindy and Stevie were actually together, but for a tiny moment the mere possibility enraged him.

Mindy had made her way up to the steps, looking between Danny and Stevie curiously. Normally she would call Danny out for acting strangely, but she still felt majorly awkward around him. Stevie turned to her. "Mindy, looks like Danny is still annoyed over the whole 'too good for the island' incident." When she didn't have a response he just shrugged. "Whatever, I don't got time for this. I have to see a man about a horse."

He turned to Mindy, ignoring Danny. "Ma says you can come by anytime. She likes having you around." He leaned forward to give her a light peck on the cheek and quickly withdrew, but not before resting the palm of his hand squarely on Mindy's backside, eliciting a little squeak of surprise. "I like having you around." Her eyes widened, filling with indignation. Before she could let the carefully worded insults fly from her mouth, Danny had shoved himself between them, grabbing Stevie by the collar. He dragged his friend across the yard back toward the hatchback.

Mindy stood in shocked silence, staring at the struggling pair of men. It was like watching a schoolyard brawl where neither child was actually making any headway. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up at Danny's mother standing on the top step. "Mindy, darling, why don't you come in with me and have a cup of tea? They can finish they're _discussion_ out here." She looked up, eyeing her son and his childhood friend with slight disinterest. She called out across the yard. "Don't bring any of that in my house, you hear me?"

To Mindy's surprise, both men momentarily stopped and shouted yes in unison, only to resume their ridiculous tussle. She felt like she was dreaming as Mrs. Castellano led her up the steps and into the small house.

Once inside, Mindy distractedly glanced around her. The house was small, for sure, but decidedly homey. The walls were covered in framed photos of the Castellano boys, spanning across a few decades. She stopped at one photo. It was a picture of Danny at his high school graduation. His face was softer, a little rounder, but not much, and there was the biggest smile she'd ever seen plastered across it. She'd never seen him that unreserved. He was clutching his diploma with one hand while the other clasped the shoulder of the woman standing next to him, his mother. Mindy soon forgot the ridiculous situation outside as she became absorbed with taking in the contents of the house.

Mrs. Castellano's approach to decorating was an anything goes kind of thing, bric-a-brac set here and there, but it didn't seem like a mess. Somehow it all fit together. There were silver candlesticks on one bookshelf, while another one had a few old baseball mitts lying on it next to a picture of The Virgin. Mindy was fairly certain she could spend all day just looking at everything.

"Mindy, do you want sugar in your tea or lemon?" Mrs. Castellano's voice called out from somewhere deeper in the house. Mindy snapped back to herself, feeling a bit guilty for her nosy behavior. She followed the hall in the direction of the voice.

The hall ended in a small open kitchen. "Yes, both please." She glanced around at the small space. Again, it felt very warm. A congenial atmosphere surrounded Mindy, momentarily banishing the anxiety she'd been feeling. "You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Castellano."

She stepped into the little kitchen. Danny's mother was standing at the counter, preparing a cup of tea for Mindy. "You're nice, dear. Danny's always trying to get me to move into a bigger place. He seems to think this place isn't good enough. There are memories here though. My boys grew up here." She turned and gestured to the tiny table, smiling sweetly. "Please sit down. We have some things to talk about, I think."

Mindy nodded in acquiescence, sitting at the table. The delicate cup rested in the palm of her hand. It's warmth radiating through her palms. She lifted it and cautiously took a sip. The warm liquid cascaded down the back of her throat, pooling in her stomach, quickly ridding her of the chill she'd been feeling. "I love a hot cup of tea when it's cold outside. It's like a full body hug." She smiled up at the woman across from her.

Mrs. Castellano returned the smile. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here? What makes two doctors leave their responsibilities in the middle of the day, and why is my son scrapping with his childhood friend in my front yard?" She raised her eyebrow and waited for Mindy's explanation.

Mindy's eyes widened. Oh, dear. She looked away, tracing the flower pattern on the saucer with the tip of her finger. Had Danny told his mother what had happened? And why was Danny fighting with Stevie again? It didn't make any sense to her.

She glanced back up, a bit nervously this time. "I really have no idea what's going on with Stevie and Danny. I mean, Steven is, uh, a little much to take sometimes, but I think he's fairly harmless. As far as the rest of it goes... What exactly has Danny told you?"

"Oh, you know how he is. He hasn't said much, but I know when something big is going on." Mrs. Castellano's eyes sparkled.

Mindy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the heavy coat she wore suddenly becoming a bit too warm. She sighed. "There is." She didn't exactly know how to broach this subject, especially not with his mother, but she felt compelled to say something, to let her know that she would never hurt Danny. "Did you know that Danny is my best friend? I don't even know really when it happened. I used to think that 'best friend' wasn't really a single person, but rather a level of friendship, but now I can't think of anyone that I hold in the same regard as Danny."

Mindy swallowed the lump in her throat. She'd been casting around in her mind for something reassuring to say, and that's what she'd come up with, but it wasn't until she'd spoken the words that she really knew how true they were. Danny was her best friend. He was the first person she called when she had news she was bursting to tell. He was the first person she looked for in the morning when she got to the office. At some point she'd discovered a new tier of friendship that she'd never had before. She still loved Gwen, Maggie and Alex the same, but Danny was on a whole different level.

She sat in stunned silence for a second, trying to decipher the meaning of her epiphany. "I care about him, and I think he cares about me. Sometimes I'm not sure. I irritate him a lot." She sipped more of her tea, hoping it still had the same calming effect as before. Nope.

Mrs. C smiled. "Oh, honey, I know you irritate him. Do you know how many times I hear your name when he calls me? Mindy did this. Mindy did that. Can you believe that Mindy." She laughed. "I think you push his buttons more than anyone he's ever known."

Mindy frowned. Well, now she was really confused. Why would Danny want to be with her if he felt that way? On the other hand, he talked about her with his mom? She tapped her foot on the floor, trying to distract herself from the strange feeling in her chest. What kind of game was he playing?

Mrs. Castellano observed a quick succession of emotions chase across Mindy's face. The last little bit of reservation she'd had about the young woman faded away.

Mindy didn't notice the softening of her features or the knowing look in her eye. Instead she focused on the table in front of her. "I know Danny finds me annoying." She pulled at the bracelet on her wrist distractedly. "I mean. I get it. I know I'm selfish and self-absorbed, and there are times when even I can't believe how much reality tv I watch." The words picked up speed. "And I make him go places and do things he doesn't like. Once, I made him do hot yoga. Isn't that the worst thing you've ever heard? I mean, you're his mother, you know how he sweats. I suppose I would find me annoying too."

"And yet he still likes you. Strange, isn't it?" Mrs. Castellano rose from her seat and took her cup and saucer to the sink, leaving Mindy at the table, stewing in her own thoughts.

"Why do you say that? The liking part, not the strange part." Mindy hadn't meant to ask the question. It just spilled from her lips, surprising her with a note of hopefulness. She liked Danny. She thought he was her best friend, but maybe he wasn't. Maybe there wasn't another level of friendship above 'best friend.' Maybe it was something else.

"Well, dear, I hear it in his voice when he talks about you. There's this underlying tone of affection. Danny's not one to hang around people he doesn't like. He's not a masochist."

Mindy got up and joined her, putting her own dishes into the sink. "I think I might have hurt him though." Mindy didn't understand why she was saying these things. She didn't know Danny's mother. They were complete strangers. If you'd asked her to pick out Danny's mother in a police lineup because she'd robbed a deli, Mindy would have had no idea. So why was she confessing this?

His mother sighed and turned to face Mindy. "Danny is an adult. As much as I want him to be happy, I'm not going to tell you what you should do. In the long run, no matter what happens, he'll be ok. He's had practice with these things."

Mindy's chest constricted as she tried to breathe in. Oh, Danny. It really was unfair sometimes. "That's the thing. I don't like that. I don't like that people have left him. That they've betrayed him. I don't like that I could do that to him. And I could. I'm not a perfect person. I mess things up all the time. Do you know how many people I've dated? Recently, too."

Mindy felt a gentle hand on her arm. "The mere fact that you're thinking about all of that tells me that you would never do what Christina did, and that if things somehow didn't work, it wouldn't be for lack of trying."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's one more chapter. A bit sappy, but whatever... I like it. As always, leave comments about whatever you like or dislike. Love you hear from everyone.**

Stevie twisted around Danny's side and locked his arms around him, pulling him along. "Little D, what's your deal?" They'd arrived at a bit of a stalemate, Danny stuck in a bit of a headlock and Stevie's legs were twisted around behind him. The pair lost their balance and stumbled to the ground, breaking apart.

Stevie glanced back in the direction of the house. "You can stop now anyway. They went inside."

Danny, panting on the ground, sat up and started dusting off his jacket. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Stevie sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. "Your lady. She went inside with your ma." He reached over and nudged Danny with his elbow. "Why do you think I grabbed her ass? To give you the opportunity to defend her honor and stuff."

Danny stared at him in disbelief. "I don't know what you're talking about. She's not… we're not… "

Stevie rose to his feet and reached down to help Danny up. "Sure man. Whatever you say. Maybe you're right. I think she kind of liked it anyway."

Danny glared across at him. "Watch it." They walked back over to Stevie's car and leaned back against it, facing the house. "How did you two end up here?"

Stevie reached in his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, holding them out in offering. Danny took one and ran his fingers along it, looking back up at the house. He sighed. "You know what? I quit. So here." He handed it back.

"She showed up at ma's door, pounding it like she wanted to break it down." He took a drag off his own cigarette, punctuating his explanation. "When no one answered immediately she started hollering and whatnot. 'Mrs. Steven's Mom! Please. It's sort of an emergency.'" He pitched his voice in imitation of Mindy's.

Danny laughed at Stevie's surprisingly accurate impression in spite of his efforts to keep a scowl on his face. "And?"

"Well, you know how ma is. Couldn't exactly make it to the door in record time, so I answered it. She was pacing back and forth, talking to herself." He reached out in front of him, flicking ash onto the ground. "Before I could even say anything, she shoved past me into the house. 'Steven, I need a favor. Take me to Mr. Castellano's house.' Like I had nothin' better to do than chauffer her around the island."

Danny was confused. Mindy had come looking for him? After ignoring him for the past two days? "Why your ma think Mindy is your girlfriend?"

Stevie shrugged, flicking his cigarette to the ground, grinding it into the pavement with his heel. "You know how she is. Memory's terrible these days. I've been seeing Gabby Torres. Ma gets them all confused. Plus, Mindy really made an impression on her that one time."

Danny chuckled. "Gabby Torres, eh? That wouldn't be the same Gabby that made your life hell in middle school would it? The one who pinned you to the ground in a headlock until you handed over your lunch money?"

"What can I say? She's always had a thing for me." He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. "Anyway, Mindy said something happened with you, and she thought you were upset and probably at your ma's. Blah blah blah. I told her, if it was about a woman, then you'd probably be at _Cherry's_. That strip club we used to try and sneak into when we were teenagers."

Danny dropped his face down into his palms, groaning. "What the hell, man?"

"Don't worry about it. She insisted you were at your ma's. She bet me ten bucks we'd find you here." Stevie shifted uncomfortably. "So… you got ten bucks I can borrow?"

Danny reached into his back pocket and dragged out his wallet, thumbing through the bills until he found a ten. He slipped it out, holding it just out of Stevie's reach. "I'll cover your bet with Mindy, if you promise to _never_ grab her ass again."

"Not a problem. Gabby'd have my balls if she knew I did that." He shoved off from his car. "I'm gonna head back over to ma's. She always forgets to take her night meds if I'm not there." He circled around to the driver's side. Looking over the top of the vehicle at Danny one last time. "You know, I think that girl has a thing for you or something. She was kind of agitated when I suggested the strip club."

He ducked into the hatchback and took off. Danny was left standing at the curb, hands tucked into his pockets, his eyebrows raised slightly. He turned back to the house, making his way slowly up the walk.

* * *

Danny stepped into the house, quietly pushing the door closed behind him. He did the same thing he always did when entering his ma's house, wiping his feet on the welcome mat and tossing his coat on the hook. He headed to the kitchen. It was the nucleus of her home. It was safe to bet that's where the two women would be.

He remembered sitting at that kitchen table and doing homework while she washed dishes. Then later, when he was a little older, sitting there and helping Ritchie with his homework too. It's where he had been sitting when he opened his acceptance letter. It's where he'd sat down to ask his mother for the engagement ring she'd been saving for him, and later where he'd haltingly told her things had fallen apart.

Hearing voices drift out into the hall, he stopped just shy of the doorway into the kitchen. He fought the urge to eavesdrop, but ultimately gave in. He crept a forward a bit more, getting close enough to distinguish the words. Mindy's voice landed on his ears first.

"It's like being given something that you never even knew was an option. I always thought he didn't think about me at all, or that when he did it was with so much disdain that he could only entertain thoughts of hiring someone to take me out. Then finally, we got to the point where we actually could stand each other, and now he wants more. It seems like such an amazing thing, but the thought of screwing it up makes me sick." She was rambling, a sure sign of nerves. There was a pause. Danny swallowed. She was talking about him? "I can't say I haven't thought about it once or twice, but he knows too much about me. He should be terrified, but he isn't. I don't know what that means."

Danny couldn't help but smile. The weight that had rested in the middle of his chest for the past two days vanished. He felt the corner of his mouth lift up involuntarily. He took a few steps back in the hallway and took a moment to reign in the idiotic grin spreading across his face. He called out to alert them of his presence. "Ma, where are you hiding?"

He poked his head into the kitchen, the sight of Mindy and his mother sitting across from one another at the table sent a flutter through his chest. She looked incredibly at ease, at home. She had shrugged off her coat and slung it across the back of her chair, her head bent over the plate in front of her, trying to keep biscotti crumbs from getting all over the place.

His mother rose from her seat and met him in the doorway, planting a big kiss on his cheek. "I'll be right back, dear. I told Mindy I'd show her something." She slipped out of the kitchen.

"Not exactly subtle is she?" He looked back to Mindy.

Mindy twisted around to look at Danny, the last bite still in her mouth, a surprised look on her face. She swallowed. "Danny?" She spoke his name tentatively, a hint of uncertainty tinging the inflection. "Did, uh, Stevie leave?"

He smiled a little, taking the chair beside her. "Yeah, he said to give you this." He plunged his hand into his pocket and pulled out the ten he'd tucked there. "Something about a bet."

She smiled and snatched the ten. "Now he'll know to never question my knowledge of one Daniel Castellano." She folded it up and tucked it into her bra. Danny arched his eyebrow. "What? I forgot my purse."

Danny stared at her. They were in close proximity in the small kitchen. Mindy swallowed, started to say something and stopped.

Danny reached across the small space dividing them, and placed his hand on top of hers, lightly caressing the back of her knuckles. "Why did you come out here?"

She looked down at his hand, watching his elegant fingers trace the lines of hers. She suddenly felt shy. It was a somewhat foreign feeling. Why be shy? Danny already knew everything. Danny wanted this. She was beginning to think she did too. Alright, she really did, but it was still scary.

She cleared the lump from her throat and took a deep breath. "I thought about… well, you." She turned her hand palm up and threaded her fingers through his. "When I got to work this morning there was a vibration of anticipation buzzing through me. I was eager to see your face. I still wasn't sure what I was going to say, but then you weren't even there."

Danny shifted closer, waiting to hear the rest. She looked away for a moment. "Danny, why? I don't get it. I'm selfish. I don't care about politics. I would sell my mother for front row tickets to a Rihanna concert. I'm vengeful, for real, I mean, I waited two years to get back at Gwen for buying that blue hermes scarf out from under me. And my insecurities sometimes send me into a tailspin trying to prove myself. I bought a framed picture of a dead bird because I wanted people to think I was edgy and hip. You know all this. Why would you want this?"

Danny laughed, pulling her hand up to him and planting a kiss on it. "Yes, you are all of those things, a lot." He squeezed her hand. "You also care about people, a ton. You pretend to be totally self-involved, but when push comes to shove, you actually care. You can find something to like about almost anyone. That's an amazing quality, one that I'm eternally grateful for, because you could have easily written me off. Yeah, you're vengeful, but that keeps me on my toes. And everyone has insecurities. The fact that I think you're the most confident woman I've ever met, I think counterbalances that."

Danny paused and took a shaky breath. "You fit perfectly in my arms. Your head rests just below my chin, your face tucks into my chest next to my heart, and even though I've only felt it one time, I know I'll never forget how right it is." He looked at her, seeing the pooled tears in her eyes. He worried that he'd said too much.

He pulled away, intending to release her hand, but she clung to it. Following his backward motion, leaning into him. "Danny. Maybe.. maybe you're just lonely. I'm always around, are you sure –" He leaned forward and stopped the flower of words with his lips, kissing her soundly.

Feeling her softly yielding lips beneath his, Danny forgot where he was. He reached up with his free hand and threaded his fingers through the mass of hair at her nape. She felt a shiver race up her spine, and reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled back one last time and looked at him. His eyes glazed over with passion stared back. "Really, Danny?"

He nodded. "I stopped being lonely a while back. You've done more than befriend me. You've allowed me to open myself up to other people. For the first time in my life there's this circle of people around me. I feel like an idiot for fighting it." He pulled her close again, cupping her face in his hands. "So yeah, really."

She smiled and lunged forward, hugging him tightly, nearly knocking the breath out of him. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. He was home, in every sense of the word.


End file.
